It All Started With A Broken Camera
by ForecastingFiction
Summary: After breaking her camera out taking pictures for photography class Max Caulfield meets someone new. She's angry, rebellious, and cocky. And above all else, she's irresistible.
1. Chapter 1

A/N: Thanks to everyone for checking out my story! This is the first chapter of a 2 part story. The second chapter should be out in the next couple of days. A big shout out to Leopard Cay for helping me out with editing. Please drop me a comment if you can, I'd love to hear what everyone's thoughts are on the plot or characterization or just about anything really. Have a great day and happy reading!

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I couldn't stop myself from letting out a huff of annoyance as I marched down the sidewalk in frustration. I glared at the ground as I went, barely paying any attention to the world around me. Why does dumb stuff always happen to me? What did I ever do to piss the universe off so much?

I was coming back from a trip to the forest just off campus. I had been hoping to find some inspiration for this term's photography project in which I had the pleasure of drawing the oh-so well defined subject of "nature". But of course, in a classic Max Caulfield fashion, I had tripped over some roots while trying to frame a shot of the setting sun through the trees. In my resulting stumble, I dropped my Polaroid camera which fell directly on the one single rock in the entire patch of moss beneath me. My precious camera had shattered on impact and I could feel the broken shards of plastic within my bag digging into the side of my leg as I walked.

I spotted a guilty looking stone on the cement path in front of me, and in my frustration I kicked it with all the force I could muster. It shot down the sidewalk and crashed into the rusted bumper of a weathered pick-up truck that was parked on the curb. Whatever genius that had parked it had hit the cement path and driven the front left tire up onto the sidewalk. If that wasn't enough, it was also parked in a handicap spot without a handicap tag. I shook my head as I passed. Some people could be such jerks. I continued on, but only for a few more steps until I was stopped at the next intersection to wait for traffic.

As I stood waiting for the cars to stop, I managed to pry my eyes away from the sidewalk and actually look at my surroundings. I was on the boundary of a rather small bar and restaurant area of Arcadia Bay, though at this point many of the nicer establishments had given way to seedier options. A bright glowing neon sign above me drew my attention as it flickered to life in a flash with the word _open_ lighting up in a half-hearted attempt at drawing in customers through the doors.

For some odd reason the place seemed familiar. I searched my memory for a reason why that would be. Considering I had never been in a bar before, I could think of no answer. After a few moments of confusion, it finally came to me. A memory of my roommate gossiping with one of her friends instead of studying sprung to mind. The mentioning of a bar and its lack of carding minors had definitely come up at some point. The walk light that I had been waiting so patiently for switched from the image of a red hand to a white stick figure as I nervously drummed my fingers on the strap of my camera bag.

"Eh, what the hell." I shrugged my shoulders and started walking towards the doors. I straightened my posture and hoped I looked like I knew what the hell I was doing as I reached for the door. Radiating confidence was never one of my strong points. As I stepped through the entrance I could feel my anxiety building. Images of the place filled with people who all immediately knew I didn't belong flowed through my mind's eye.

The darkened interior and blast of chill air took me by surprise however as I stepped inside. Confusion replaced my mounting anxiety and I peered around the bar curiously. It was decorated in what I imagined was fairly typical manner for a dive bar like this. Some random sports memorabilia from Blackwell mixed in with band posters and signs advertising drink specials. A jukebox was blasting some punk rock song I'd never heard before in one corner of the room and there was a large dance floor with a stage for a band to play on. The other side of the room had a long bar stretching between the walls and there was the standard collection of liquors, beer taps, and alcohol signs behind the wooden counter. What really stood out however was the fact that it was completely empty. There was literally not a single other person besides myself present, not even a bartender.

I tentatively approached the counter. Despite all the signs, I still kind of expected someone to jump out and accuse me of being in here illegally. I took a seat on one of the bar stools and after letting out a deep sigh I dropped my head into my hands. I couldn't even break the rules correctly it seemed.

"What'cha thinkin' about?"

I jumped at the words spoken inches from my face and let out a startled yelp as I slipped off the back of the stool and crashed to the bar floor. I groaned and rubbed my now sore back. I really needed to stop falling down today.

"Well, that was graceful."

I felt my jaw slacken as I looked up. A woman stood leaning across the bar counter and watched me. The bright blue hair sneaking out from beneath a navy beanie immediately caught my attention, though my gaze quickly drifted past her mischievously glinting dark eyes and the amused smirk gracing her lips.

"You know, that floor isn't particularly clean. I should know. Mopping is technically in my job description."

The girl's smirk stretched further across her face as I scrambled off the floor with what I'm sure was a look of panic across my features. I patted myself down, somehow thinking that would make it better. I could feel the girl's eyes on me, and despite myself I felt a blush quickly forming across my cheeks.

"S… sorry about that. You kind of surprised me there."

She laughed at my mumbled reply, "Hey, no need to apologize to me. You're the one who was on the floor." She gestured towards the wall of drinks behind her, "What can I get you to soothe your bruised behind?"

"Umm…" My eyes drifted across the various bottles and drinks before shrugging. "Surprise me?"

The mischievous glint refused to leave her eyes. "Putting your fate in my hands, huh?"

She turned to the drinks and grabbed a few bottles, pouring a bit of each into a pair of shot glasses. Then she grabbed a pair of pint glasses and started to fill them with a dark liquid from one of the taps. A new song poured out of the jukebox as the girl filled the glasses. She seemed to recognize the tune and started swing her hips in time to the beat. My gaze was drawn down to follow the sway of her dark jeans. They hugged her hips tightly with numerous tears arcing across at random intervals. I was barely able to snap my eyes away as she turned back towards me with mostly full glasses in hand.

In contrast to the dark jeans, a white tank top with an intricate skull design on the front hung from her shoulders. An elegant full sleeve tattoo snaked up her left arm and decorated the limb with roses, ribbons, and butterflies twirling together. A necklace with three bullet casings hung from her neck drawing my attention to the trace of a black bra peeking out from beneath the tank top. I swallowed thickly as she finally made her way back to me, hopefully without noticing my lingering eyes.

"Ever heard of an Irish Car Bomb?" She asked.

"No, I can't say I have."

She snickered, "Of course you haven't."

"I feel like I should take offense by that comment."

"Aww, she even ties to banter. How cute."

My blush reignited at her words. I could see the look of satisfaction glow on her features despite my attempts at hiding it. "So here's how this works. You take this shot glass, drop it in the pint and down the whole thing in one go."

She seemed very excited by this whole thing. I on the other hand… not so much. However after reading my thoughts as she quickly was becoming prone to doing however, she laid her hand on mine. "Don't worry. I'll do it with you." She said with a wink. I don't know if I felt any better about it, but I was suddenly incredibly thirsty.

We clinked our shots together and simultaneously dropped them in our glasses. I had been expecting the drink to be harshly bitter but to my surprise, it was actually good. I could hear the girl set her glass back down onto the counter, presumably finished. Meanwhile I was barely halfway through my own. It seemed to take me forever to finish the drink. I slammed the glass down as I finished and sucked in a deep breath.

"Hella rad girl, I didn't think you had it in you." She leaned forward towards me, crossing her arms on the counter top. "What's your name anyway?"

I found that I couldn't look away from her intense gaze. My eyes were locked with hers. "My name's Max… Max Caulfield." I cursed the lack of confidence that showed in my voice, even when merely saying my name to her.

She smirked and for a second I thought I saw a flash of recognition in her eyes, but it was gone so quickly that I assumed I was just been seeing things. "Max huh? Well good to meet ya, my name's Chloe. So, what brought such a pretty girl into my bar this evening?"

Much to my chagrin, blushing had apparently decided to become a permanent activity in her presence. The light, or rather lack thereof, cast shadows across her face, only adding to her mysterious aura. I felt my attention darting around from one element of her appearance to another, never staying on one thing for too long. From her confident smirk, to her toned arms and down to the way her bullet necklace hung alluringly before her chest. I could sense the time since her question being asked dragging out. What is wrong with me? I shook my head, hoping to regain some semblance of concentration. "Uh, I was just curious about you…" I suddenly snapped back to a clear state of mind as I realized what I had just said. "I meant the bar… I was curious about the bar."

I couldn't believe it was humanly possible but somehow Chloe looked even smugger after my mistake. She chuckled at my frazzled attempt at catching myself. "So, Max Caulfield," My name was more like a purr from her lips instead of the bumbling mess it had been when I said it. "Based on your prior answer I assume that not only do you not have a favorite drink, but you've probably never even drank before. Am I right?"

I turned away from her inquisitive gaze, embarrassed over the situation. "No, not really."

"What were you planning to get when you walked in?"

"I… don't really know actually."

My eyes were drawn back to Chloe at the sound of her laughter. She was watching me with an amused smile. I definitely was not used to being the center of someone's attention for so long. "I think I've got something for you."

She walked down to the opposite end of the bar, lightly bobbing her head to the beat of the loud guitars and angry choruses from the jukebox. I couldn't pull my attention away from her as she went. She bent down and reached into a cooler beneath the counter. I could feel my eyes follow the curves of her body as she twisted to pull something out of the mini fridge. I jerked myself away as she turned back.

The clink of a new glass on the counter drew me away from my internal struggle. "So, let me guess. You're a student at Blackwell right?"

"As if that wasn't obvious."

"Perhaps, but I'm not done yet. You're a photographer too, aren't you?" I knew I must have looked surprised by the cocky expression that appeared on her face. Blackwell's photographers were quite well known but in the terms of size, it simply paled in comparison to the many larger programs offered at the school.

"How did you know that?"

She shrugged and tried to look nonchalant. "I'm just that good Maxi-pad."

I scrunched my nose at the nickname. "Ew, Maxi-pad? Really Chloe?"

She laughed again, a sound I was really beginning to enjoy. "Sorry, it was the first thing that came to mind."

I shook my head and scowled in fake annoyance. She just snickered. "Whatever, what's that?" I nodded at the bottle she had retrieved from the fridge.

A glow overtook her features as she remembered she was holding something. She unscrewed the top of the bottle and reached forward to pour it into the glass she had put in front of me. "I thought you might like this."

It was a clear liquid, but besides that I couldn't determine anything else. I could tell she was watching me intently as I swirled the fluid in the glass. I gave it a tentative sniff and was surprised by the fruity tones it gave off. It barely even smelled of alcohol. I finally took a tiny sip and my eyes widened as I took a moment to get used to the taste. It was sweet, very sweet and had only a small kick to it. It was actually really good. I took a full swig and found my eyes closed as I savored the flavor, a hum of appreciation escaping from my lips as I swallowed.

"Chloe, this is really…" The words got caught in my throat as I opened my eyes. Chloe was leaning much closer than she had been before. Her knuckles were white as they clutched at the counter and she was biting her lower lip. Meanwhile, her darkened eyes continued to stare at me filled with intensity. "Uhh…" She snapped out of whatever stupor she had been in and noticeably jumped backwards away from me.

We stared at each other in silence as the seconds ticked by, but were interrupted as sounds of conversation entered the bar as a group of guys walked in through the doors behind me. They obviously all knew Chloe as they called out to her when approaching the bar. Chloe's cocky swagger returned in an instant and she went to get their orders, leaving me by myself with the bottle. I took another drink but it didn't taste nearly as good anymore.

The night continued on like that for quite a while. More people came in, Chloe served them and I sat by myself drinking what I had determined was flavored vodka. Now, I was pretty used to the whole being alone thing but by the time I finished my third drink I was starting to get annoyed. What was her game? Was all of that just some amusement to pass the time? Why did I even care? I argued with myself, trying to make sense of both the evening and the fact that I hadn't left yet. The butterflies blossoming within me whenever I looked in her direction weren't helping either.

"Well, well, look who it is. Little Max Caulfield pretending to actually be somebody."

My grip on the glass tightened at the speech and I turned around. Sure enough, the words belonged to resident Blackwell asshole Nathan Prescott. I glared at his self-confident smirk as he preened in front of his pack of hyenas. "Can't you ever just leave me alone?"

He leaned forward and rested a hand on the bar top; making a wall between myself and the rest of the room. "If I did that you might forget about what a waste of time you are and we can't have that."

"Why don't you just fuck off Nathan?" Even I was surprised by my strong words. Maybe I needed to drink more often?

But he just laughed and pushed further into my personal space. "Yeah well, I won't. What exactly are you going to do about it?"

Suddenly Nathan was spun away from me. "I think you should listen to the lady." The tone of rage was barely contained in Chloe's words. I smiled a little as I could clearly see how thrown off he was.

"Yeah, and who exactly do you think you are bitch?"

Chloe just smirked. She cocked her fist and moved in the direction of Nathan's face. Instantly he flinched away, stumbling as he tried to put distance between them.

Nathan's "friends" snickered from behind him as Chloe calmly stared him down, daring him to do something.

"Whatever man, this place is shit anyways." He turned and stormed out of the bar, his crew trailing behind.

I must have been looking at her in awe as her cocky expression returned. "What? I can't have anybody giving my girl trouble in my own bar. It'd hella screw with my reputation."

I barely heard anything after the words "my girl" came out of her lips doused in the tones of protection and possessiveness.

"Your girl?"

She reached behind me to grab the bottle of vodka and in the process her body pressed against my own, her warm breath blowing across my ear. "That alright with you?"

My breathing came in a small gasp. My voice refused to obey my will so I merely nodded. A chuckle rumbled deep in her chest, the vibrations from it sending shivers down my spine. She finally pulled away with the bottle of vodka in her hand and took a quick swig from it before reaching across the counter and putting it away.

In the background the jukebox switched to a new song. Chloe looked pleased with the selection. She held her hand out towards me, "Come on, let's dance!"

I waved her hand away. "Sorry, I really don't dance."

"Is that so?"

Without warning she grabbed my arm and pulled me off the stool. I swayed on my feet, unaccustomed to the surge of alcohol running through my veins. Not able to fully compensate for my inebriation I fell straight into Chloe. She caught me of course, though embarrassment still flowed through me as I felt her strong arms fold in around me.

"Sorry, Chloe…"

I turned away hoping to hide the redness on my face but Chloe's arms did not comply with that hope. I felt her hand reach down and brush the locks of my hair that I had been using as cover away lightly and when I looked up I found a sweeter smile than I had expected gracing her lips. "Don't worry so much Caulfield." She winked down at me and started moving us to the dance floor. "Just get out here and shake that bony white ass."

The dance was really more flailing than dancing, especially on my part. Bodies and limbs were flying all over the place and somehow in all the craziness my eyes never strayed from Chloe. Despite the insanity of the moment, she looked completely in her element. Her movements had an almost untraceable grace and her eyes were wild and excited. I don't think I've ever seen someone so beautiful. The itch in the back of my mind begged me to take picture after picture as she continued to thrash to the screeching guitars.

At some point she decided I wasn't trying hard enough to dance and in an effort to fix that, she grasped my hands in hers and twisted me around the dance floor. Despite my usual abhorrence at engaging in such a display I couldn't stop the smile from breaking out across my features. The crowd of people and pounding music around us blurred into the background as all I could focus on was the way Chloe looked at me, the way her hands felt holding mine, and the way she moved around me.

I hardly noticed when the music in the room changed from driving guitar riffs to heavy beats and sensual tones. Chloe's hands drifted from my forearms and a shiver shot down my spine as they slid down my sides and settled on my hips. I felt my body pulled into contact with hers and fire ignited where we became one. I closed my eyes and let her guide our movements. Time seemed to lose all meaning as songs blended effortlessly together.

I groaned as the blearing sound of my alarm clock pierced the veil of sleep I rested under. A veil that I quickly learned was protecting me from the worst headache I'd ever felt. The alarm seeming destined to start a chain reaction that would result in my head splitting in two. I flailed aimlessly at my nightstand. I felt contact as my palm hit the clock and flung it to the floor. I heard a chuckle from across the room as light footsteps moved to the sound causing my pain and silenced it.

"I have to hand it to you Max, I was not expecting to come home on a Saturday night and have you be the drunkest one in the room."

I warily tugged one eye open and instantly regretted the decision when bright sunlight poured in through my open window stabbed its way into my irises. I attempt to swallow but found my mouth to be most comparable to death's valley. "Wha… what time is it?" I managed to mutter with all the smoothness of a 40-year smoker.

"Almost noon now, here take this."

With great exertion I managed to sit up enough to take the glass of water and pair of pills Rachel held out to me. I struggled to get the medicine down, having to use nearly the whole glass of water to get it done. I squinted up at my smirking roommate Rachel who appeared to be barley able to contain her amusement. "There is nothing humorous about this Rach."

Somehow her grin got even wider, "You're entirely right Max. There is nothing humorous about this. Unbelievably hilarious would be a much more adept description."

"Ugh, not at all what I meant."

Rachel plopped down next to me on the bed and threw an arm around my shoulders. "Sorry roomie, but this situation requires at least a little bit of teasing."

I closed my eyes and rested my head in my hands as the room started to spin around me. "Well I'm glad you got that out of your system. Would you please do me a favor and never let me drink a sip of alcohol again?"

She giggled next to me. "Sure thing, Max. Now onto important matters, who was the guy?"

I glanced up to see Rachel eyeing me with vastly too much enthusiasm. "What guy?"

She rolled her eyes, "The one you were obviously with last night that guy." She snapped the fingers of her hand not keeping me upright with all the conviction of Sherlock Holmes breaking the big case. "I bet it was that Warren kid, right? Man, he's been staring at you with those puppy dog eyes of his since you got here."

"What? Warren and I are so not like that. We're just friends."

"Uh huh," she cleared her throat and produced a yellow sticky note. The same as the ones I kept on my desk. "Allow me to read the note I found next to your passed out self when I got back last night."

 _Last night was hella rad Maximus, even though you totally passed out on me. You really haven't drank before have you? Don't worry. I brought you back to your place safe and sound. I'll check on your hungover ass tomorrow._

 _P.S. You're hella handsy when you're drunk. Not that I minded, but maybe next time don't start things you can't finish Caulfield._

Rachel watched the blush rush across my face as she held the note aloft with a triumphant expression.

"That definitely was not written by Warren, Rach."

Her surely mocking response was cut off by a series of rapid knocks on the door. Each one sending a spike of pain through my temples. I groaned and rubbed my forehead as Rachel popped off the bed to answer the door. She paused for a moment to adjust her hair in the mirror then opened the door. My view of the visitor was blocked by Rachel but I could tell she was surprised by who she saw.

"Chloe? What are you doing here?"

I instantly snapped to attention, barely believing the name I just heard. Jumbled images of the previous night flashed through my mind's eye. The distinctive blue hair escaping the confines of the navy beanie, the piercing blue eyes gazing into my own, the strong hands on my hips. I shook my head hoping to clear the overwhelming memories.

"What? I can't come visit an old friend?" The cocky tone was instantly familiar.

"Chloe, you've never visited me at Blackwell before. Why are you actually here?"

"Actually, I was hoping to see Max. Is she awake?"

Rachel glanced over at me curiously. I felt a creeping sense of dread as a sly smile crept over her features. "And what pray tell could you possibly want with our dear sweet Maxine."

Chloe groaned, "Max, yell if you're awake in there."

Rachel glanced over her shoulder at me with a smile on her face. Suddenly an immense pressure settled overbearingly on my shoulders. The knowledge that Chloe was right there, after everything that happened the previous night set my nerves alight. What would I even say to her? What did I even want to say to her? I've never felt like I did last night with anyone before. I was so confused. Lost in thought I didn't notice the silence growing into a chasm in the room.

Rachel's smile slipped from her face and I could tell a nervous cough from the hallway. "Oh, uh, never mind then I guess. I'll just get out of here then."

"Wait!"

I jumped from my bed and hurried around Rachel and out into the hallway. Chloe had already taken a few steps away from our room. She turned back toward me and my breath caught in my throat when my eyes made contact with her. A dark beanie still covered the top of her head. She had on a black leather jacket with a dull silver zipper, black ripped jeans and a pair of worn military boots on her feet. She looked anxious, nervous even. Her gaze shifted around, never fully meeting my own. Her weight shifted between her feet and her hands fiddled with her pockets.

"Thank you." She appeared taken aback by the complement. "For taking care of me last night, I mean. You were right. I had never tasted alcohol before." As a sad sort of smile touched the edge of her lips I realized the mistake in my words. "And for the night in general of course, I enjoyed myself. The parts I remember at least."

She waved my attempts at comfort off. "It's all good, Max." She sighed as she moved away from me down the hall. "Maybe I'll see you around again."

My mind raced to come up with a way to stop her. My heart begged me to not to let her go. "I'm free tonight." I uttered the words so softly I wasn't sure she could even hear them. Sure enough however Chloe paused in the midst of step. She cocked her head to the side.

"Tonight?"

I couldn't stop the smile from spreading across my features, "Well, I need some time to get ready and everything."

Chloe sauntered towards me. She rested one hand on my shoulder and looked into my eyes for the first time today. Confident Chloe had returned as did the butterflies in my stomach. "It's a date, Caulfield. I'll pick you up a 7." She backed away from me, letting her fingers drag down the length of my arm. With a last cocky smirk she turned away and waltzed out the dorm building room.

"You little minx." I jumped at the close proximity of Rachel's voice. She grabbed my hand and pulled me into our room and shut the door. "That note was from Chloe. You were with Chloe damn Price last night?"

I shrugged and crossed my arms, uncomfortable with the scrutiny. "I guess so."

"And to think, I was spending all this time trying to set you up with Warren. Why didn't you tell me you were into chicks?"

I looked down at my feet and dug my toe into the carpet. "I… I didn't know."

Rachel peered at me questioningly, "Wait, really?"

I nodded. "How do you know Chloe anyway?"

She waved her hand dismissively, "It's a long story, but we go way back. That's not important right now. What is important however," She clapped her hands together gleefully. "Is making sure you are drop dead gorgeous tonight."

I sighed, "You're the model Rach, and I'm more of the blend in type."

She rolled her eyes exasperation, "Max, you have got to start believe in yourself girl. Listen you just go take a shower and I'll take care of the rest."

I huffed in exasperation but did as she asked. I grabbed my towel and shower supplies then headed towards the door. The hallway was quiet as I made my way to the bathroom. The view from the hallway window caught my attention as I past. The sky was clear blue with only a few passing clouds in the sky. It looked like it was going to be a beautiful evening. I opened the door to the bathroom to find Kate inside adjusting the bun of blond hair on top of her head. She was intensely concentrating on her reflection. "Hey, Kate."

She jumped with her hands clasped to her chest in shock. I tried not to giggle at her expression. "Sorry, sorry, I didn't mean to surprise you."

"It's okay Max. I didn't hear you come in. I'm just glad you're not Victoria."

I smiled as I headed towards a shower stall. "A higher compliment I've never been paid Kate. By the way your hair looks great today."

"Thanks Max." She smiled but I could see a hint of concern lingering across her features. She looked away in apparent shyness. "So, did you, uh, make it back to your room okay last night?"

I glanced at her quizzically, "What do you mean, Kate?"

She paused clearly struggling with her words, "I was awake last night when you got back, or when you were carried back. I just wanted to make sure everything was ok."

Once again I was touched by Kate's thoughtfulness. How anybody could make fun of her would always be beyond me. "Ya, Kate, I'm fine. Her name is Chloe, she's…" I could feel a blush coming on at the thought of her. "I'm good, Kate."

"Good." She took a few steps towards the door then stopped. "I just wanted to let you know I'm here if you ever need someone to talk to."

"Thanks, Kate."

She left and I got in the shower. The warm water was quick to sooth my nerves. For the first time today I felt I could think clearly. I took a moment to just absorb the events of the last 24 hours. I felt almost removed from the whole experience, like I was seeing the highlights of some other girl's story. I mean who was I kidding, I'm boring ole' Max Caulfield. I don't meet beautiful girls at bars and fall in love.

My hands halted in the process of rubbing shampoo into my hair. That word pounded in my head like a drum. The lather trickled down my forehead and into my eyes. The sting succeeded in breaking me out of my trance. Love? That's ridiculous. You can't love someone you barely even know. I shoved my head into the oncoming spray of water to wash away the cleansing foam and finished up in the shower.

When I got back to my room Rachel was waiting for me looking quite pleased with herself. "Why am I suddenly really nervous?"

"Max, I am offended. However I am willing to look past that slight because I am also a genius."

"A genius? And how exactly does that work, I have seen your grades you know."

"Because Max, I have put my frankly masterful skills to use and devised the perfect ensemble for you."

I tried to get a glimpse of the clothing she had laid out on my bed behind her to no avail. "Somehow I think your definition of a perfect ensemble and mine are just a little bit different."

She rolled her eyes and took a step to the side and presented her chosen outfit. Not surprisingly none of it was comprised of things from my own wardrobe. Sometimes I hated being the same size as Rachel. I'd seen the dark blue dress she had laid out only once before. Rachel had bought it tried it on, decided she didn't like it and hid it in the back of her closet. To go along with it Rachel had brought out one of her many pairs of black heels.

"Listen, Rach, I know you're just trying to help but none of this is really my style."

"Come on Max, you barely even have a style."

I feinted a look of mock pain. "Your words wound me."

"Here I'll make you a deal, you wear this tonight. Look hot, leave Chloe speechless. Which is not an easy thing to do I might add. Then you can wear whatever you want for the second date."

I looked warily at the dress, "I don't know, Rach."

She took a step forward and rested a hand on my shoulder. "Just trust me on this one, alright?"

I sighed. I always was kind of a pushover. "Fine."

Getting dressed to Rachel's satisfaction took nearly the entire next hour. During which she adamantly refused to let me see myself in the mirror. "It was for the effect," she kept saying. I decided it was more just to drive me crazy. After applying the final touches she took a step away. I could feel her eyes studying me closely, determined to find anything that was out of place. The look that grew in her eyes was much too self-satisfied for my taste. "Are you done yet?"

"You're not going to be nearly as snarky when she gets here."

"Whatever," I stood up and turned towards the full length mirror we had set up in our room. Or rather, Rachel had set up in our room. Even I have to admit, Rachel knows her stuff.

"Well?" Rachel stepped up behind me. "What do you think?"

I didn't really know how to respond. Rachel was right. The dress did look great on me. But I just couldn't help feeling wrong about it. I never dressed or looked like this. I didn't even own what I was wearing. I felt like a fraud.

"What's wrong?"

"It's nothing."

Rachel grabbed my shoulders and turned my body to face her. "Come on, Max. I'm your roommate I can tell when something's bothering you. And as much as you hate to accept it, what you feel does matter. So talk to me, what's wrong?"

I sighed, "Nothing's wrong, Rach. I just feel weird in this."

She smiled, "Stop worrying, Chloe's gonna…"

I cut her off, "That's the problem Rach. Say Chloe does love it. So what? This isn't me, this is you. Your clothes, your makeup, your everything really. Maybe she should be going out with you."

Rachel started giggling as I wrapped my arms around myself uncomfortably. "You really like her don't you?"

"What?"

She tried to reign in her laughter but was failing quite spectacularly. "I've never seen you so concerned with someone liking you. I mean you're always worried about what everyone thinks of you but not like this. It's cute."

"S...shut up." I turned away, but my blush had already bloomed across my cheeks.

"Max listen to me, she's going to love you. You're awesome. I understand what you're saying about the clothes. But the clothes aren't going to make her like you or not. You're going out with her tonight because she likes you. I just thought you'd find it fun to do something different. If you don't that's fine, you don't have to wear any of this."

I looked back into the mirror, I did look pretty good. I felt a little smile curl on my lips, "Alright, I'll wear it."

Rachel looked like she might burst from happiness behind me. "Just wait until she sees you, you won't regret it I promise."

Just as she finished her celebration a knock on our door sounded. The same loud upbeat rhythm as when Chloe was here this afternoon. I took one step towards it before Rachel stopped me. "Let me answer it," she regarded my unconvinced expression, "trust me, okay?" I looked at her curiously but allowed her to do so.

She opened the door only a few inches, "Good Evening, Chloe."

I grabbed my purse off my bed and waited for Rachel to move out of the way. "Hey, Rachel. Is Max ready?"

"She just finishing up, she'll be with in just a few minutes. Okay?"

"Uh, alright?"

Rachel shut the door and turned back towards me, "It's always good to make them wait a few minutes." She winked at me.


	2. Chapter 2

Rachel and I sat and talked for a few minutes, I could tell she was trying her best to keep my nerves in check and she was actually doing a pretty good job of it. Before too long however Chloe started pounding on the door once again, "Max! Come on, I'm dying of boredom out here!"

Rachel looked at me we a sly grin and nodded towards the door. "We've tortured her enough, go ahead."

I smiled and walked towards the door. My throat was feeling quite dry as I put my hand of the doorknob and I swallowed thickly. I gave myself one last internal pep talk and turned the knob. Chloe had slumped to the floor outside the door. She jumped up when she heard the door opening. "Finally, I thought I was about to die of old age out here."

I took a step into the hall and Chloe finally turned to face me. She seemed stunned, her mouth opened but no words came out. I watched her eyes trailing down my dress. I couldn't stop a smile from sneaking its way across my face. Chloe was dressed quite similarly to this afternoon. She still had the beanie and black leather jacket. Though this time she wore a black button-up shirt underneath it. The same black pants and boots completed the outfit. At least one us were wearing clothes that were somewhat normal for them. And I did have to admit that the punk style was rapidly becoming a favorite of mine. I wondered how I would look with my hair dyed. I shook my head as visions of pink hair flashed through my mind. Nah, not for me. My mom would kill me if she found out anyways.

"So, you two actually going somewhere or should I clear out and let you have free use of Max's bed?"

I spun around to face my incredibly embarrassing roommate. "Rachel!"

"Calm down Max, I'm just kidding." She waved away my concern with dismissive gesture and a wicked grin. I could already tell I was never going to hear the end of it from her.

I huffed and glanced over at Chloe. I was surprised at the faint trace of red staining her cheeks. Maybe I wasn't the only one nervous about tonight? As soon as it appeared through any trace of embarrassment was gone and her cocky smirk was back. So quick was the change I wasn't sure I had even seen it at all.

"Hardy, har, Rach. Why don't you go bother your little vortex club friends or something?"

"But you two are so much more fun."

Chloe rolled her eyes and glanced back at me. "You ready to get out of here."

I nodded, "Most definitely."

"Good, let's roll."

We turned and made our way down the hallway and out into the evening air. The sun's light was just beginning to shift from the bright yellow of afternoon to the darker gold of evening. The shadows of trees and buildings were long and the air had just a hint of autumnal chill. I didn't really know what to say to Chloe as we walked. A surely surprising fact about me is I didn't really go on dates like, ever. I went to the odd high school dance and such but always with a group, never as someone's date. Shockingly there was never a line of people waiting to ask the shy, boring looking girl who spent her time taking pictures, writing in her diary, and not talking to people out.

We were almost to the parking lot when the silence was finally broken. "You do look beautiful tonight, Max."

"Thanks, Rachel lent me the dress and shoes and everything. She's pretty good at this stuff."

"Don't do that."

"Do what?" I looked over at her surprised as we arrived at the parking lot. Her smirk was now a frown as she led me towards wherever she was parked.

"Put yourself down like that." She stopped in front of an old beat-up truck that looked familiar for some reason. "I said you looked beautiful, not your dress, nor your shoes, you." I couldn't hold the intense gaze she regarded me with and looked away.

A weak, "I'll try not to," was the best response I could muster.

"Good, now your chariot awaits." She unlocked the passenger door of the pickup and held it opened for me. I giggled at her antics and stepped up into the rusting beast. Chloe shut the door behind me and I watched as she jogged around the hood of the truck and climbed in the driver's side. The engine roared to life as she twisted the keys in the ignition, I flinched a little at the throaty growl as Chloe revved the motor. As Chloe ever so gracefully pulled the truck out of its parking spot I remembered why it looked so familiar. It was parked in the handicap spot outside the bar yesterday.

I tried to conjure up my most intimidating scowl. "You know you really shouldn't park in handicap spaces."

She laughed, "Really? What are you going to do, tattle on me?" She moved her hand which had been resting on the gear shift to my knee and squeezed while her voice dropped to a low husky tone. "Or did you have another punishment in mind?"

I unconsciously let out a squeak when she squeezed my knee, and heat rose in my chest at her leading question. "Where are we going anyway?"

She laughed and moved her hand away. "That little bit of information would be a surprise. You're just going to have to wait and find out."

Silence lingered in the truck giving me a moment to hear the song softly playing over the stereo system. I recognized it from the jukebox at the bar. I could feel Chloe's attention on me as I reached forward and turned the volume knob up.

 _Ain't shady baby_

 _I'm hot like the prodigal son_

 _Pick a petal eenie, meeny miny mo_

 _And flower, you're the chosen one_

I bobbed my head in time to the beat of the music and looked out the window at the buildings flying past in the rapidly darkening evening.

"You listen to alt-J?" She sounded surprised.

"Umm, no, not really. I just remember this song from last night."

"Really? You were pretty out of it by the time alt-J started playing." For a second Chloe looked embarrassed. "I wasn't sure you'd remember anything from last night."

I let out a shaky breath as I regarded her unusual expression. "Chloe, what exactly happened last night?"

"How much do you remember?"

"I'm not exactly sure to be honest. My memories go kind of in and out. I remember dancing with you but I'm not sure how long we did or what we did after. Things are pretty fuzzy from there."

"Okay, you know most of the story then. We were dancing for a while. We left the bar around midnight-ish. Then I drove you back to Blackwell. That was about it."

I nodded along as she recounted the tale. Mostly just glad I hadn't seemed to embarrass myself too much last night. "Was what you wrote on the post-it true?"

She looked at me curiously, "Was what part of it true?"

"The P.S. part, you know about me on the ride home."

She smiled and shoved my shoulder. "Nah, I was just messing with ya. You slept like a baby the whole way back."

"You're the worst."

"Yet, here you are. Going out on a date with the so called worst. And speaking of..." Chloe trailed off as we pulled into the parking lot for a very fancy looking Italian restaurant.

"Whoa, Chloe this place looks really expensive."

She shrugged and turned off the engine. "What, don't you artsy people love this kinda place." Despite the nonchalance she was trying to show off I thought I could see nervousness in her eyes.

"Eh, maybe the rich ones. I'm more of the starving artist type of photographer."

"Well you are pretty much a stick so I could see that." She grabbed my forearm and shook my bony appendage in an effort to prove her point.

""Stop that." I blushed and pulled my arm away. "Seriously though, I'll take a burger and fries over this kind of place any day."

Her eyes lit up at that suggestion, "Really?" She leaned towards me and wagged her finger at me. "Don't kid me here, Caulfield. You can't dangle that kind of offer in front of me and then take it back."

I was surprised by her sudden enthusiasm. "I mean, yeah," my stomach came alive with hunger as visions of cheeseburgers danced in my head. "Oh, oh, with a chocolate milkshake. Man that sounds awesome right now."

Chloe grinned decisively, and restarted the engine. "Well if you want a burger, I know where they make the best ones in Arcadia Bay." She gunned the engine and we tore out of the parking lot, drawing a few annoyed glances from people headed into the restaurant. Chloe laughed as we hit a batch of wet pavement and skidded out onto the road. I found myself just watching the excitement blossom across her face as she cranked the music and drove entirely too fast towards our new destination. Her exuberance was quickly rubbing off on me and I felt my own joy bubbling up.

After a short drive we finally reached the spot Chloe proclaimed to have the best burgers in Arcadia. It was an old fashioned diner with a glowing neon sign above it proclaiming it to be the Two Whales Diner. Alternating glowing outlines of a pair of whales completed the logo. "Have you ever been here before?"

"No, it looks nice though."

"Ya, it's pretty sweet. Come on." She hopped out of the truck and I followed suit. The inside of the diner was warm and filled with the low tones of conversation. I looked around to see the occupants mainly consisted of truckers, a family or two, and various groups of teenagers. All too quickly I realized how massively overdressed I was. "My booth's over here." She led me down a line of booths running along the front of the restaurant with windows looking out to the parking lot and street.

She has her own booth? How often does she come here? We stopped at the second to last booth in the line and Chloe proceeded to vault into one side. She looked like a cheetah the way she stretched out, all long legs and long arms. I shimmed into my side of the booth in a much less graceful manner.

Almost as soon as we sat down a waitress was already at our table with a pair of menus in hand. "Hello, Chloe I was wondering when I'd see you in here again. I hope you're not looking for another free meal." The waitress had a noticeable southern drawl. She was of average height but had firmness about her. Like she'd seen everything and wasn't about to put up with any nonsense.

She turned and regarded me with a warm smile on her face, "And who's your friend here?"

Chloe looked unbelievably annoyed at the waitress, "Don't worry, Mom, I've got money tonight."

Wait, Mom? Did I hear that right?

"And this is Max, Max Caulfield. I… uh… met her last night."

"Oh, okay, well it's good to meet you Max."

"You as well Ma'am."

She put the menu's down on the table. "Alright, I'll be right back with some coffee and to get your orders." She turned and walked back to some other customers that needed assistance.

"So, not that I'm complaining or anything but I figured we'd for on at least a few more dates before I meet your parents."

"Shut up, Caulfield." She kicked me lightly underneath the table. "I forgot she was working tonight."

"She's seems nice."

"Ya, she's alright. After all she had to put up with my punk ass for the last 21 years."

"So, you're saying she has incredible patience."

"You know I could just leave you here."

I shrugged, "Your mom would give me a ride home, plus then I could hear all sorts of embarrassing stories about you."

"Boy, do I have a lot of them." Chloe's mom appeared back at the table with a coffee pot in hand. She poured a cup for each of us then set the pot of the table. "So, what can I get you ladies?"

"We'll take two cheeseburgers and fries and a chocolate milkshake."

"Alright, I'll put those in right away," as she turned to head back to the kitchen she paused and put a hand on my shoulder. "And Max? Don't tell her boss you around too much. She's really more bark than bite." She winked at me as she walked away.

I could barely stifle a giggle as Chloe stared dumbfounded at her departing mother. "I like your mom already."

Chloe huffed and crossed her arms annoyed. I felt the bounce of her kicked up heels on the seat bench next to me. "Whatever."

It wasn't long before an absolutely heavenly aroma began to drift towards us from the kitchen. The smell was soon joined by cheerful humming as Chloe's mom appeared carrying a tray loaded with a pair cheeseburgers, fries, and tall chocolate milkshake. My mouth was watering just at the sign of it. "Here you go girls, enjoy." I barely noticed her depart as all my attention was on the food in front of me. My stomach seemed to just realize I hadn't eaten anything yet today. I imagine my eyes must have been as wide as saucers.

The sound of Chloe's laughter from across the table finally broke me out of my trance. "You actually going to eat that or just stare at it lovingly."

I rolled my eyes at her teasing and took a bite of the cheeseburger to spite her. I couldn't help closing my eyes and moaning in appreciation of the wonderfully delicious food. "You really need to stop doing that." Chloe's husky tone surprised me out of my stupor.

She was leaning forward to her seat with dark eyes focus intensely on me. "You're making it very difficult to stay on this side of the table." I blushed glanced away from her captivating gaze.

"Um… sorry?" She laughed and shook her head at me. Suddenly a fry smacked me on the side of the face. I glanced up incredulously as Chloe barely contained her amusement.

I grabbed a fry off my own plate and quickly returned the favor. "Oh, you think you're tough now huh?" She reached over and stole my milkshake.

"Hey, give that back." The fighting went back and forth throughout the meal, flaring up again every couple of minutes. I couldn't remember the last time I laughed so much.

After I finally got a chance to finish up the last of my milkshake Chloe slid out of the booth and dropped a pile of crumpled bills on the table. "Come on hippie, there's somewhere else I want to take you."

"What? Where are we going now?"

She smirked in my direction as we exited the diner, "It wouldn't be much of a surprise if I just told you now would it."

I rolled my eyes and followed her to her truck. "What is it with you and surprises?" She merely laughed and unlocked the doors.

Dusk had turned to night while we were in the diner. Chloe drove her truck with a smile of her face. Soon we left the bright lights of the town and were greeted by the darkness beyond. After a while we turned off the main road and onto a narrow gravel path. The soft radio was soon drowned out by the clank of small pebbles dinging against the metal truck exterior. After a few minutes the gravel road came to an end and Chloe parked the truck.

I looked around the area with confusion. The gravel halted in a sudden fashion with the road giving way to a wall of thick pine trees. When Chloe shut off the engine the dissipation of the headlights plunged the surroundings into darkness. "Chloe, where are we?" I couldn't help the slight stutter that came across in my voice.

The reassurance of her hand resting on my arm calmed my thudding heartbeat. "Just trust me Max. It's hella awesome."

I followed her out of the truck to a well concealed path cut into the trees. After the third tree root jumped in front of my foot causing me to trip and Chloe's responding laugh echoed in my ears my patience started to fray. "I'm sorry I don't have the path to some secret hideaway memorized like you seem to."

I leaned forward to brush off the dirt from my latest meeting with the Earth muttering to myself about my clumsy feet. I shrieked as an arm gasped me from behind at my knees and lifted me up off my feet. "Ch… Chloe what are you doing?"

I could feel the rumble from her chest against my shoulder accompanying her chuckle as she effortlessly toted me up the path. "Just helping you and those clumsy feet of yours. Besides isn't carrying a damsel in distress supposed to be chivalrous or some shit like that?"

I crossed my arms and tried my best to look annoyed. "I was so not in distress."

She smirked down at me with a cool confidence. "Whatever you say, hippie."

Despite myself I couldn't stop glancing up at her out of the corner of my eye. The moon cast a soft light across her features and the light breeze just barely ruffled her blue hair. I might as well of been a bag of feathers for the amount of effort it seemed like it took for her to carry me. "It's rude to stare, you know that?"

I darted my frustratingly obvious gaze away from Chloe with a hot blush flooding across my face. "I don't mind though." Her tone was filled with smug undercurrents. For my part I studiously avoided looking back at her as my flushed cheeks would surely do nothing but inflate her already ballooning ego.

Eventually the trees began to thin out. The serpentine path through the pines had brought us to a clearing at the top of one of the hills overlooking Arcadia Bay. A small shed and lonely bench sat beneath the lighthouse standing guard over the bay. Chloe set me back on my feet and I took a few tentative steps forward eyes drinking in the enchanting landscape. My mind could conjure no words that seemed to do the scene justice. After a moment of silence and one cool breeze off the waves I felt a warm hand on my hip and the fidgeting presence of Chloe at my side.

"Do you like the surprise?"

Her voice so filled with confidence only moments before now lacked its ever present bravado. It had been replaced with a lilt of uncertainty. I turned to her with a smile already tugging at my lips, "Absolutely. It's beautiful, Chloe."

Her hand grasped my own and she led me over to the bench. She slouched out across the wood as if it were the couch in her living room and stretched both arms across the length of the bench. In contrast I found myself perched on the edge of the seat eagerly gazing out over the lightly cresting waves reflecting the moon's light in broken images. I cursed myself for not having my camera with to take photos of the breathtaking view.

As another gust came in off the water I felt a sudden shiver course through my body. Almost immediately a layer of warm leather was draped across my shoulders. I tore my gaze from the bay with confusion only to find Chloe's jacket chasing away the chill. I looked up at her already poised to return the garment when she beat me to the punch. "Don't even think about it. I'm fine. I was a little hot actually. Not that I'm ever not hot." She winked out of the corner of her eye.

I rolled my eyes and slid my arms fully into the jacket. I had to bunch the end of the sleeves into my hands to stop them from sliding completely over my short arms. I let out a sigh and allowed myself to lean back into the bench and was surprised by the shape of Chloe's arm behind my head. After a brief moment of indecision I leaned farther towards her and rested my head against her shoulder. There was a moment of tension where her muscles went taut against me, but they quickly relaxed and soon she pulled my closer into her embrace. I couldn't help snuggling into her side. Despite the jagged edges she seemed to want everyone to think she had I found myself completely comforted.

"So, is this where you take all the girls?"

I could feel the tremor of Chloe's laugher pass seamlessly from her body into my own. "Nope, you're the first."

I was taken by surprise by the straightforwardness of the answer. I had expected some quip or witty retort. "Really?"

She hummed low in her chest. I almost felt the tone as much as I heard it. "Yep, I thought you might actually be able to appreciate it as much as I do."

I glanced up to see a distant expression on her face. Her attention seemed drawn to someplace far away. "What do you mean?"

My question was met with a long silence, I couldn't help the building worry that I had stepped over a line I was not meant to cross. "When my dad died Arcadia felt so suffocating. I wanted to get out so badly, go anywhere else. One day when I was out wondering I found this place. The light tower stopped being used years ago, and as you saw the trail to get here isn't exactly getting regular upkeep. I felt free up here, looking down on Arcadia. Like all my shit could just stay down there and I could be above it here. My own little getaway." A few beats of silence followed her speech before an annoyed frown pulled down her expression. "Sorry, I probably sound really stupid."

The touch of my fingers sliding across her cheek surprised me almost as much as it did her. Her attention seemed to jolt back to the present and her gaze grabbed a hold of mine. It felt like lightning running through my veins. "You do not sound stupid, Chloe."

Not even the warmth of her hand covering my own on her cheek could break the connection between our eyes and it wasn't until I felt the warm puffs of air from her breath that I realized how close we had moved towards each other. That realization was quickly followed by a desire for there to be no space between us.

I felt my eyes close of their own accord as our lips softly meet. The contact sent a shock through my body, like arcs of electricity. Chloe's light fingertips brushed against my chin tilting my head and deepening the kiss. I held on to the moment for as long as I could before my lungs began to scream out for oxygen.

My head swam in light headedness, though if that was from the kiss or lack of oxygen I couldn't tell. I lightly brushed my fingers over my swollen lips.

"Wowsers."

"Wowsers? Really?" Chloe cocked a playful eyebrow at me.

"Shut up." I laid my head back on her shoulder. I closed my eyes with the distant sound of the crashing waves before me and the incredibly close thump of Chloe's heartbeat beside my ear.

I could still feel the warmth of her lips against mine and the sensation of her fingertips on my cheek. A fire had been kindled in my chest that I had never felt before. I tried to calm my racing imagination, but was finding that to be quite difficult.

At some point Chloe had begun idly running her fingers through my hair. Each time her nails skimmed across the nape of my neck a renewed sparks jolted through my system.

I felt so relaxed with Chloe's arm around me. I could have sat with next to that lighthouse all night and I would have been perfectly happy. Unfortunately, I could the irresistible tug of sleep pulling at me and I really didn't want Chloe to have to carry to my dorm two nights in a row.

With a heavy sigh I lifted my head and turned to look up at Chloe. I was struck for a moment by the expression of complete ease that was written across her features. The expression brought a smile to my lips.

"What's got you so smiley, hippie?"

"You look happy."

She looked surprised before her playfulness returned, "And you look like you could fall asleep any minute. I didn't realize kissing me was so boring."

I couldn't stop the blush or thoughts of how decidedly not boring kissing Chloe was. Suddenly her hand was grasping my knee and her face and body were impossibly close to my own. My eyes crossed as they tried to focus on her alarming closeness. My instincts took over and my eyes closed as I anticipated her closing the distance between us. As quickly as they had appeared however her hand was no longer on my knee and I could no longer feel her torso against mine. I blinked in a daze until I could focus on her form standing a stride from the bench. Her hand was held out with an invite to pull me from my seated position.

Chloe's cocky smirk was lighting up the night and with a wink she hoisted me from the bench. "We got to get back to the truck if I'm going to get you back to your place before you fall asleep."

Her words barely made sense in my befuddled head, "Huh?"

"What?" She intoned in an all too innocent sounding voice. "Were you expecting something else?"

I was about to deliver what I'm sure would have been a great comeback when I glanced down and noticed that she hadn't let go of my hand after helping me up. Instead of retorting I merely smiled at her and started walking back to the path tugging her along. "Nope, let's get going."

The walk back down the path went much smoother that the walk up. Whether it was because I had adjusted to the lack of light, I was better at walking downhill, or I had Chloe's hand to steady me I didn't fall down once on the way back. Her jacket around my shoulders protecting my arms from the annoyance of the tree branches was nice as well.

The car ride back to Blackwell was mostly done in comfortable silence. Something I was perfectly fine with. I think I surprised Chloe when I reached over and entwined my fingers with hers as soon as she started driving. Before long we had pulled into the Blackwell parking lot with Chloe obnoxiously taking up two spots again (I was really going to need to talk to her about her parking skills). I was surprised when she got out of the truck with me and started walking me back to the dorm.

I barely took in our surroundings as Chloe led the way to my room. I scrambled my brain trying to figure out something to say to her when we got there. We arrived much too quickly for my taste. No light was peeking out from beneath the door meaning Rachel was asleep. At least I would get until tomorrow until I had to go through the whole play-by-play of the date with her.

Standing before my door I suddenly realized that I was still wearing Chloe's jacket. Fumbling with it slightly as my nerves got the better of my coordination I tugged it off and handed it over to her. I missed the warmth around my shoulders.

"Sorry, I forgot I was still wearing this."

Chloe took it was a smile and swung her arms around to pull it on. "No problem." The motion of her putting the jacket on caused the hem of her shirt to lift up and revealed a slice of her toned abdominal. By the time I could pry by gaze away and back to her eyes I knew I hadn't kept the action a secret.

"So, I uh… really enjoyed tonight."

Chloe smirked and stepped closer to me, which I attempted to reciprocate only to find my back already up against the wall. "As did I, hippie."

I wetted my suddenly dry lips as she put one hand up against wall next to me. If it had been difficult for me to come up with something to say before doing it while peering into her gleaming eyes now was impossible. She drew precariously close to me once again while her free hand found its way to my hip. I waited for what seemed to be an eternity for the kiss I wanted so much to come only to find it never did. I realized with surprise that while the look in her eyes was so intense she was waiting for me.

Immediately I closed the significantly insignificant gap between us and reveled in the passion between us once again. Filled with confidence I didn't know I possessed I grasped the front of her jacket and pulled her flush against me. The kiss was just as good as the one earlier if not even better. Quickly I stopped caring about the world around me and just let Chloe and what I felt for her take over.

It was with great shock that I felt a sharp if small bite on my lower lip. My eyes snapped open and I attempted to let out an involuntary squeak only to have it muffled against Chloe's mouth. I could practically feel her smirk at my reaction.

As I sucked in a breath Chloe began laying a trail of kisses down the underside of my jawline. By the time she got over to the hollow beneath my ear I was pretty sure my unsteady legs were no longer what was actually holding me up and I couldn't stop a low moan from escaping my lips.

Chloe's low rumbling laughter reverberated in my ear. "Careful Max, you wouldn't want to wake anybody up would you?"

I definitely did not want that but Chloe was making it very hard to contain myself. With tantalizingly slow movement she worked her way back to my lips and pressed one last kiss against them before she finally drew away.

"Yo, Max you planning on letting go sometime?"

"Huh?" My eyes fluttered opened at the sound of her voice. My mind had a difficult time identifying exactly how long it had been since she moved away. I was confused until I realized my hands were still balled into fists clutching her jacket. "Right, sorry." I released the leather wiped my sweaty palms in a hopefully discrete manner on the edges of my dress.

Chloe just smiled and reached up the brush a lock of my hair behind my ear. "It's cool, hippie. I'd better get out of here before one of those dumb security guys makes a sweep though."

I nodded with understanding though I was filled with an intense urge to not let her go as she took a step away. "Wait, Chloe, let me see your phone."

She cocked an eyebrow curiously before handing me a cell that appeared to have taken quite the punishment over the years. "Good to see you take good care of your electronics."

She rolled her eyes, "I'm sorry, I forget who broke her camera tripping over herself in the woods."

I winced at the memory. She had a point, Chloe 1, Max 0. I quickly typed my information in her contacts list. "Here." I handed the device back. "Call me sometime."

Chloe smirked before pocketing her phone. "Don't worry Mad Max, I don't give up on things I want and believe me. I want you." Her voice dropped in tone as she stated her intentions. The wink she threw in doing nothing to stop my blush returning for what seemed like the millionth time in her presence. With that mission statement she turned and headed back out into the night and whatever unreal fantasy she had come from.

I took a moment to allow myself to settle before I stealthily entered my room. I checked to make sure Rachel was sleeping before I closed and locked our door. Taking my time to try and be as quiet as I possibly could. "How was it?"

I nearly yelled out in shock and spun around barely able to distinguish the Cheshire grin hiding in Rachel's blankets. "Jesus, Rachel, you could warn a person."

She chuckled from within her cocoon, "That wasn't an answer."

I rolled my eyes and shrugged out of the dress and into some pajamas. I sat with a sigh, realizing I wasn't going to be getting any sleep if I didn't give Rachel something. I didn't even notice the smile growing on my face as I ran through the night in my head. "I'll take that as a sign you enjoyed it."

"Take it however you want." I flopped back into bed hoping that would be the end of it. I should have known that I'm not nearly that lucky.

"Don't you even think that's all I'm gonna get out of you, we're going over everything tomorrow."

I groaned into my pillow, "Come on Rach, isn't there some kind of code against kissing and telling?" All too late I realized how dumb that was to say.

"So, there was kissing was there?"

Grabbing a pillowing I chucked it across the room to where I hoped her head would be. "Go to sleep!"

She just laughed her annoyingly musical laugh. "Fine, fine, talk to you tomorrow."

The room returned to the quiet it should be at this hour, but even then I couldn't rest. I couldn't stop thinking about Chloe. I rolled over and tried my best put my anxiety to rest. Despite what she'd said directly to my face my mind couldn't help but conjure up visions of her never wanting to see me again, or getting bored and moving on, or any number of equally distressing things. I was almost ready to get out bed start running laps or something when my phone buzzed on my nightstand. I grabbed it quickly, hoping it hadn't woken Rachel. The harshness of the bright screen in the dark room caused me to blink and squint before I could focus on the new message indicator. It was from Chloe.

Surprised, I opened the message. It was a picture message. I waited for the minute it took to download the file. Finally the status bar reached full and the image opened. It was of the view from the clearing next to the lighthouse. It seemed to have been shot from the bench. To the right was the base of the light tower and in the bottom left the fuzziness of what appeared to be a thumb. I guess I was going to have to teach Chloe how to take a good picture.

As I tried to figure out exactly why she had sent it another message popped into my inbox. It was only one simple line. _Our place now._

* * *

A/N: Thanks to everyone for checking out my story! A big shout out to Leopard Cay for helping me out with editing. Please drop me a comment if you can, I'd love to hear what everyone's thoughts are on the plot or characterization or just about anything really. Have a great day and happy reading!


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